Israeli strikes kill 104 overnight as ceasefire resumes in Gaza

Israel's military has said that the ceasefire is back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight across the Palestinian territory that killed 104 people, including 46 children, according to local health officials.

The strikes, the deadliest since the ceasefire was enacted on Oct. 10, marked the most serious challenge to the tenuous truce to date.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to conduct "powerful strikes" over Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire when the militant group handed over body parts that Israel said were the partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier in the war.

Netanyahu called the return of these body parts a "clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to return the remaining hostages in Gaza as soon as possible. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of these remains on Monday, sharing a 14-minute edited video captured by a military drone in Gaza.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday morning that it would continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and would respond firmly to "any violation".

In response to the Israeli strikes, Hamas said that it would delay handing over the body of another hostage.

US President Donald Trump has defended the strikes, saying Israel was justified in carrying them out after what he said was an incident in which Hamas killed an Israeli soldier during an exchange of gunfire in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.

Hamas denied any involvement in that deadly shooting and in turn accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal.

Hamas has said it is struggling to locate the bodies amid the vast destruction in Gaza, while Israel has accused the militant group of purposely delaying their return.

There are still 13 bodies of hostages in Gaza and their slow return is complicating efforts to proceed to the ceasefire's next phases, which addresses even thornier issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an international security force in Gaza and deciding who will govern the territory.

Israel's Defense minister warns that Hamas leadership will have no immunity, even those abroad

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas leaders on Wednesday that they would have no immunity after a wave of Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

"There will be no immunity for anyone in the leadership of the terrorist organisation Hamas, neither for those in suits nor for those hiding in tunnels," Katz said, referring to several Hamas political leaders residing in Doha.

"Whoever raises a hand against an (Israeli) soldier, his hand will be severed. The (Israeli military) has been instructed to act decisively against every Hamas target and will continue to do so."

On September 9, Israel attacked Hamas negotiators in Doha, triggering widespread condemnation and drawing a rebuke from Trump.

Qatar has played a key mediating role in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, and is among the guarantors of the fragile peace deal, along with Egypt, the United States and Turkiye. 

Red Cross barred from visiting Palestinian Prisoners

Katz also announced that he has signed a decree that bans the Red Cross from accessing Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The minister "signed a decree prohibiting representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting prisoners held under the law on the detention of illegal combatants," the statement said, arguing that such visits would "endanger national security."

Under Israeli law, the category of "illegal fighters" allows for indefinite detention without any charge and in military detention centers.